Before you can start rehearsing though you need to find a space that you and your band mates can be the most creative in.

The size of the space will depend on the size and type of group you have. A group with less members and equipment will survive in a smaller space but for a 4-5 piece band the space requirements will be much larger.

So what choices do you have?

1. At Home
You or a band member may have a garage (or an outside rumpus room) that could be converted to a rehearsal space.

If you are living with your parents then make sure that you tell them what you are wanting to do and get their permission (I know it’s not rock and roll but it will eliminate headaches down the track).

Converting the space could consist of putting old mattresses on the wall to deaden the noise that will come out from the room (egg cartons don’t work but they do look nice) and making sure that door gaps are sealed. Personalise the space by putting up some posters or anything that inspires you to keep going.

If you or your band members don’t have this kind of space then maybe one of you friends might. Ask around. You just don’t know what is out there unless you ask.

2. Local Hall
There are halls for hire all over the place if you look hard enough. Check in the yellow pages under ‘Halls’ and see what you turn up with. If you are friendly with the local church and they have a hall ask if you could use it when they are not (it’s worked for me in the past).

If they are cool with the idea and they know that you are not a band that worships Satan in your lyrics they would be more than happy to help you out. It’s all about networking once again. Beware, this option may cost money

3. Purpose Built Rehearsal Space
This option will cost money. You are hiring a rehearsal room specifically designed for the purpose. A good purpose built rehearsal space should have at it’s disposal.

• A PA system and microphones
• Clean, well maintained rooms
• Amps (for hire)
• Strings and other accessories to buy (just in case of emergencies)
• Toilets
• Food and drink vending machines
• Chill out room
• Secure storage facilities

I’ve been in other rehearsal spaces that had recording facilities and prepared food and drinks that you could buy over the counter but all in all you want a place where you can rehearse and feel comfortable about doing it.

How much this will cost you will vary on the rooms themselves. Every rehearsal room is different.

My advice is to shop around, speak with the owners and at all times ask to come over and inspect the rooms. Once you found a space that is perfect for band bonding and song creation the battle is halfway won.

Until next time,

Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music

Keywords: indie music, independent music, music industry, music business, music marketing, band promotion, orangutang music, corey stewart

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You’ve written some songs and learnt some choice covers just in case but there’s one missing ingredient left to consider.

Band members. Where do you find them?

Starting up a band is a very exciting time in a musicians life. There is a fine balance of nervous anticipation and the fear of the unknown that follows the whole process.

A band has a different dynamic than working as a solo artist.

There are other people involved, other personalities, other strengths and weaknesses in character and abilities to consider.

Because of this, it’s really important that you have a few things worked out before you start looking for band members.

1. Have a good idea of your own strengths and weaknesses
The band members that you want to get will need to be around the same level of competence as you are. The main reason for this is that you can all grow together rather than have one or two musicians carrying everyone else. This type of player imbalance causes doubt in the group and doubt is one of the major killers of bands.

2. Know beforehand how the band is going to be run
Is the band going to be run by you or the whole group? The personality types of the musicians that you choose will need to be agreeable to the way the band is going to be run.

3. What instrumentation is the band having in its lineup?
This is mainly determined by the type(s) of music that you want to play but having an idea of what musicians you are looking for will be of great help.

It is now time to hunt down some band members

4. Ask your network of friends and/or contacts
This is always a good place to start. Ask everyone that you know or come into contact with. If you dont have much of a circle of friends and/or contacts this will be a great chance to widen it.

This is one of the reasons why networking in the industry is so important, for occasions such as this. Having a musician referred to you has a much better chance of working than one that comes from an advertisement.

This leads me onto my next point.

5. Post an advertisement
Having said that I have had made some great contacts from musicians enquiring from a ‘muso wanted’ ad.

The key to effective ads is that they need to be concise, to the point, not too lengthy and put in places where musicians are very likely to see it and read it like in a music shop, a local music magazine or a music classifieds website.

A sample ‘musician wanted’ advertisement could read something like this:

BASS PLAYER WANTED
To join folk/rock band
Influences include
Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows
Some experience preferred
Own gear and trasport essential
Interested?? Give me a call
Corey – 555 555 555

As you can see, the ad is clear in its intention. It clearly states the musician wanted, the type of music the band is playing, what the music may sound like and that the band has some experience behind it.

Make sure you have a clear contact name and phone numbers (if you want to include an email address as well, that’s cool).

Don’t put in stuff like work waiting or no time wasters please. You can judge those sort of things yourself when an interested musician contacts you.

Once you’ve done that the waiting game begins. More on the auditioning process later.

Until next time,

Corey Stewart
Orangutang Music

Keywords: indie music, independent music, music industry, music business, music marketing, music promotion, orangutang music, corey stewart

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